Casa Equis by Barclay & Crousse Architects is a private residence on the coast of Peru. Between the Andes mountain range and the ocean is a long thin strip of dusty, dun-coloured desert almost at sea level. Although the Peruvian desert is one of the most arid ones in the world, it’s climate is not extreme. Temperatures range from 14°C minimum in winter to 29°C maximum in summer, with very little variations between day and night due to a high percentage of humidity. Domesticating this particular landscape without denying or betraying it the architects created the necessary intimacy to live in through integrating to the vastness and abstraction of the Peruvian coastal landscape. The result is exterior spaces merging with interior spaces.

The entrance patio leads to the intimate space of the house. This space extends towards the ocean with a large terrace. This terrace is conceived as an artificial beach that relates to the ocean by a long and narrow pool. The living/dining space roof is conceived as a weightless beach umbrella, anchored to the precinct. Limits between the living/dining space and the terrace are naturally erased by frameless glass sliding panels.An open staircase follows the natural topography and leads to the bedroom level beneath the terrace. The children’s bedrooms are accessible by a patio/pergola covered by the terrace deck. The parents’ bedroom is reached at the end of the staircase, passing under the suspended pool.

Take a closer look at the Casa Equis and it’s interior in the photography above.